Justification means for line-casting machines



F. E. BARBER JUSTIFICATION MEANS FOR LINE CASTING MACHINES June 23, 1925 Filed Nov. 14, 1923 INVENTOR- 2/4221 fif arier ished.

Patented June 23, 1925.

UNITED." STA FRANK E. BAR-BER, 0F BROOKLYN, NEW YORK, ASSIGNOR T0 INTER-TYPE CORPORA- res PATENT" OFFICE,

'TION, OF BROOKLYN, NEV YORK, A. CORIORATION OF NEW YORK.

JUSTIFICATION MEANS FOR LINE-CASTING MACHINES.

Application filedNovember 14, 1923. Serial No. 574,745. 0

O. Mergenthaler, wherein character bearingv matrices and expansible spacers areassembled in a line, such line isdelivered to casting mechanism, and the spacers are actuated to expand the line to a predetermined measure and to justify it, preparatory to the making of'a cast from the line. The primary object of the invention is to provide novel and improved means whereby the amount of power or drive employed in operating or expanding the spacers may be readily and conveniently increased or dimin- In commercial machines of this class, the

justifying means has generally been con-.

structed substantially as shown and described in Letters Patent No. 557,000, granted March2 f, 1896, to O. hlergenthaler, wherein the spacers are expanded by the operation of a lever under the action of a spring and under the control of a. suitably recessed cam, the spring being sustained un' der tension by a washer supported by a pin which could be shifted into different positions to vary the strength of the lever actu ating spring. However, the spring and its cooperating parts were located in the lower portion of the machine and removed inwardly from the outside thereof, and hence;

these parts were not conveniently accessible, and, moreover, the pinv and washer adjustment', was not suitable for quick or con-' venient adjustment.

' Subsequent developments have. been made in machines ,of the linotype class with the view to, substantially increasing the length of the lines of matrices capable of be ing assembled thereby, Letters Patent No.

1,426,194, granted August 15, 1922, to T. S.

Homans setting forth, for example, certain improvements which have such end in view. It will be understood, however, .that when the measure of the line is increased, the I quantity of matrices and also the number of spacers 'making up the line are also increased, so that the operation of driving up the spacers to expand a, line of such increased length presented a problem which was not solved by .the justifying means previously used on lines of the shorter measures. Furthermore, although the machine may be constructed so that it is capable of assem bling and justifying lines of such increased or' extreme measures, yet such machines should also be capable of assemblingand 1 justifying lines of relatively shorter meas. ures, although the amount of, power or drivee required to drive upthe spacers in lines of increased'or extreme measure would exceed [that required for the relatively shorter lines when the latter are used.

The present invention provides novel and improved justifying means for machines of the class referred to which is: capable of meeting the different conditions set forth above, itembodying means whereby the strength of the justifier actuating spring may be quickly and conveniently changed to conform with the measure of the line in use or the number of spacers normally assembled in lines of the particular length or measure in use at any particular time, thus enabling the appropriate amount of power or drive? to be imparted to the spacers to suit the dif ferent lengths or measures of the lines that may be brought into use, at different times.

To these and other ends, the invention consistsin certain improvements and combinationsand arrangements of parts. all as will be hereinaftermore fully described, the

features of novelty being .pointed out .partioularly in the claims at the end of the specification. i

In the aczompanying drawing I Figure 1 isa perspective view of the preferred embodiment of tension changing means for the justitier actuating spring of a machine of the linotype class; V

Figure 2 represents a vertical section taken through linotype class a portion of a machine of the showing the ustifying means" Heretofore the sleeve 18 has been provided.

and its actuating mechanism and the spring tension changing means of the present in vention applied thereto; and

Figure 3 represents, on an enlarged scale, a section onthe line 3-3 of Figurei2.

Similar parts are designated by the same reference characters in the different figures.

:The present invention is applicable gen erally to line casting machines of the types or classes wherein lines of character bearing matrices and expansible spacers are assembled and the spacers in the lines are expanded to fill out the lines to the predetermined measure. The invention is more es pecially' applicable to machines of the linotype class, and the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown in the present instance as applied to a machine of that class. It is to be understood, however, that the in vention is not restricted to theprecise construction shown, as equivalent constructions are contemplated and such will be included within the scope of the claims.

In the present instance, 1 represents a portion of the frame of a machine of the linotype class and which frame may be of the usual or any suitable construction, it being shown in the present instance as pivotally connected at 2 tov a swingable vise frame 3, which latter may be held in its normal or operative position in the usual way, the vise frame having the spacer justifying member 4*mounted thereon, the spacer justifying member being arranged to operateupon the spacers S in a line of matrices M supported by thejaws 6 of the usual first elevator 7, the line of matrices and spacers, when in this position, being in front of the mold or casting mechanism of the machine, as is well understood in this art. The justifying member is actuated or driven upwardly at the-proper time to expand the spacers in the line'and thus fill out the line to a predetermined measure, as determined by the set ting of the vise jaws in the machine, by a lever 7 which is pivotedv at 9 tea suitable part of the machine, as, for example, the frame 1, this lever being fixed to an arm 10 carrying a roller 11 which cooperates with an appropriately shaped justifying cam 12, the latter-being mounted on the usual main. cam shaft 13 of the machine. A spring 14, whichis usually and preferably of the coiledcompression type, acts on a collar or shoulder 15 fixed to a rod 16, the action of the spring causing the upper end of the rod 16 to bear against a seat 17 in the lever 8 and thereby hold the roller 11 in contact with the face of the cam 12. The lower end of the rod 16 is slidable in and thus guided by a sleeve 18.

with a collar or shoulder 19 which rested on a port1on of the base 20 of the machine and the ex erio of t e sleeve was threaded. to

receive a correspondingly threaded spring supporting collar or plate 21, it being necessary to rotate this plate or collar 21 in order to increase or decrease the strength or tension. of the spring 14. In using-justifying mechanism such as that just described, the spring 14 acts to maintain the roller 11 in contact with the working face of the cam 12, the face of the cambeing so shaped that the lever 8 will be depressed until an assenr bled line of matrices-and spacers is brought into position above the justifying device 4, and at the proper time a suitable depression in the face of the cam 12 will reach the roller 11, thus allowing the lever 8rto meve upwardly under the action- 0f the spring .14, thereby causing the justifying device .4 to drive upwardly the spacers in the line, and in that manner expanding the line to a pre determined measure. The particular mecha; nism thus far described has been previously used in machines of the linotype class,-and it is to be understood that such means or any equivalent means may be employed in conjunction with the improvements which constitute the present invention. a I j The present v invention provides means which is quickly and conveniently operable at will from the front or exterior ofithe machinefor changingthe strength or tension of the spring 14 to conform with the measure of the line of matrices and spacers in use or with the number of spacers. nor; mallycontained in a line of the particular measure which is in use. Preferably and as. shown in the present instance, suclrmeans comprises a lever22 which is pivoted. at. a point intermediate of its length on. apin 23 supported by a bracket 24, the latter being mounted on a suitable stationary part ofthe machine, such, forexample, as the frame 1 This lever extends preferably in a direction from the front toward the-rear of the machine and its'rear end is formed or provided with a fork 25 which straddles the sleeve 18 and bears at its upper surfaces, on the under.- side of the collar or plate 21 on WhichIthe lower end of the spring 14 rests. The upper surfaces of the fork 25 which contact with the plate or collar 21 are preferably curved, substantially as shown, to facilitate the movement of the fork relatively to. the plate or collar 2l, incident to the rocking or pivotal movements of the lever 22 about the pin 23. The other or forward end of the lever 22 extends to a point where it may be quickly and conveniently actuated by the machine operator, it being preferablev to extend this lever to the front ofthe machine and to provide itwithatread or pedal surface 26 for actuation by the foot of the operator. Also, means is provided for holding or retaining the lever 22 in different adjusted positions. 7 For example,the lever may be provided, at a suitable. point forward of its pivot 23, with a dog or other locking portion'27 and a bar 28 may be fixed to a suitable stationary part of the machine, as, for example, the frame 1, this bar having a suitable number of locking notches 29 formed in the edge thereof adjacent to the lever 22. In using a retaining or locking device such astha-t just described, provision is made for engaging and disengaging the dog 27 on the lever -with respect to the notches 29 in the bar 28. Preferably, the pin 23 which pivotally supports the lever 22 has a tight fit in the bracket 24, the lower end of which may be forked, as. shown in Figure'3, but the lever 22 has an enlarged hole 30 therein to loosely receive the pin 23, the lever, moreover, loosely fitting between the forks on the bracket 24. By constructing these parts in this way, the forward end of the lever 22 may not only be depressed and allowed to rise vertically, but it is also capable of sufficient lateral movement to engage or disengage the dog 27 on the lever with respect to the notches 29 in the bar 28. To facilitate such lateral, as well as vertical, movements of the lever 22, the tread or pedal surface 26 on its forward end is preferably roughened or serrated.

The mode of ope-ration of the tensionchanging means for the spring which actuates the justifying means is as follows: hen the machine is set to assemble and justify lines of the standard or relatively short measure, in which case a relatively small number of spacers is normally present in the line, the lever 22 is disengaged from the locking or retaining bar 28, so that the forward end of the lever may rise and its rear end correspondingly descend, the lever assuming, for example, the dotted line position shown in Figure 2. The descent of the rear or forked end of the lever allows the sleeve 18 and the spring supporting plate or collar 21 thereon to descend, thus reducing proportionately the strength or tension of the spring 14c so that the justifying lever 8 will, at the proper moment, drive the justifying device 4 upwardly with the proper amount of power or drive to suit the measure of the line or the number of spacers normally contained in a line of the measure which is in use. hen the machine 1s set to assemble and ustify lines of increased length, in consequence of which the number of spacers normally used in the line is increased, the forward end of the lever 22 is depressed for a distance of one or more notches in the bar 28 and the lever is then held in such position by the engagement of its dog 27 with the appropriate notch 29. For example, the lever may be depressed into the full line position shown in Figure 2. The descent of the forward end of the lever 22 causes an appropriate upward movement of the rear or forked end in the strength or of the lever, in consequence of which the sleeve 18 and the spring supporting collar or plate 21 will be elevated, thus increas tension of the spring 14 so that the justifying lever 8 will, at the proper moment, move the justifying device upwardly with increased power to conform with the increased measure of the line or the increased number of spacers contained therein.

The collar 21 or other part on which the spring 14 rests and against which the spring tension changing lever acts, is preferably adjustable on the sleeve 18, asshown, as such an arrangement enables the tension of the spring to be properly set initially and readjusted subsequently if found necessary, although, if desired, the collar or equivalent part may be fixed on the sleeve.

The present invention provides means whereby the stren th or tension of the actuating spring for the justifying mechanism of the machine may be instantly and conveniently changed, to suit the measure of the line which is being assembled or the number of expansible spacers normally contained in a line of such measure, and by extending the spring-tension controlling lever or member to the front of the machine, it may be quickly operated to change the tension of this spring without requiring the operator to leave his usual position at the front of the machine.

I I claim as my invention 1. In a line casting machine e-mbodyin justifying means for expanding spacers in lines of matrices and spacers, and a. spring for actuating such means, of means including a lever extending to, and operable from the front of the machine at the will of the operator, to change the tension of said spring.

2. In a line casting machine, the combination with justifying means for expanding spacers in a line of matrices, aspring for driving the justifying means, and means for adjusting the tension of the spring, of tre-adle means operative from the front of the machine to increase or diminish the tension of said spring and thus change the amount of power applied by the spring to the ustifying means to actuate the latter.

3. In a line casting machine embodying justifying means for expanding spacers in a line of matrices, and a spring for actuating such means, a lever operable at the will of the operator from the front of the machine to increase or diminish the tension of said spring.

1. In a line casting machine embodying justifying means for expanding spacers in a line of matrices, and a spring for driving said means on its spacer-ex oanding stroke, a lever arranged to act on the spring and extending to the front of the machine and there operable to increase tension of said spring.

5. In a line casting machine, the combination with the justification lever and its actuating spring at the rear of the machine, of means extending,' to the front of the machine for instantly adjusting said spring'to increase or diminish its tension, and a device for setting and holding said means in different adjusted positions.

6. In a line casting machine, the combination with the justification lever and its operating spring, of means for increasing or diminishing the tension of said spring or diminish the 5 instantly and at will comprising a. lever a1- ranged to act on the spring to change its tension, and means to hold said lever in a set position.

7. In a line casting machine embodying justifying means operative to expand spacers in lines of matrices and spacers, and a spring for actuating such means, lever means including a reciprocatory part extending to the front of the machine and there operable by and at the will of the operator to change the force with which the spring actuates said justifying means.

In testimony whereof I have hereunto set my hand.

' FRANK E. BARBER. 

